Sheet straightening machine having intermediate rollers and an adjustable outer backing roller



Nov. 5, 1968 F. UNGERER 3,408,845

SHEET STRAIGHTENING MACHINE HAVING INTERMEDIATE ROLLERS AND AN ADJUSTABLE OUTER BACKING ROLLER Filed July 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m a N m m a m n '0 R HR E N ZU "A Nov. 5, 1968 F. UNGERER 3,403,845

SHEET STRAIGHTENING MACHINE HAVING INTERMEDIATE ROLLERS AND AN ADJUSTABLE OUTER BACKING ROLLER Filed July 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRITZ UNGERER, DECEASED,

BY IRMA UNGERER, SOLE HEIR United States Patent O.

Filed July 6, 1966, Ser. No. 564,505 Claims. (Cl. 72-163) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for straightening sheet metal which includes straightening rolls, backing rollers, and a set of horizontally spaced apart intermediate rollers. One of the outer backing rollers is arranged to support one of the aforesaid intermediate rollers. The machine furthermore includes mounting means supporting the outer backing roller and adapted to effect an individual adjustment of this roller.

This invention relates to a sheet metal straightening machine having adjustable inner and outer backing rollers, which support intermediate rollers, which are not mounted and act on the straightening rolls.

The straightening rolls of straightening machines are supported by so-called backing rollers. In order to'avoid a transfer of films of dirty oil from the backing rollers by way of the straightening rolls onto the sheet metal stock, arrangements are known in which the backing rollers do not act directly on the straightening rolls but intermediate rollers are provided between the backing rollers and straightening rolls. The set of intermediate rollers must be horizontally supported on both sides so that the outer intermediate rollers will not be urged outwardly by the straightening pressure. Outer backing rollers, which are jointly adjustable, are used in known arrangements for supporting the intermediate rollers. The present invention relates to the mounting means for the outer backing rollers.

According to the invention, a sheet metal straightening machine having adjustable inner and outer backing rollers, which support intermediate rollers, which are not mounted and act on the straightening rolls, is characterized in that the outer backing rollers are mounted for individual adjustment so as to displace the nonmounted intermediate rollers in the direction of movement of the sheet metal, said outer backing rollers being preferably eccentrically mounted by means of eccentric bearing journals or bushings. The individual adjustment enabled by the invention affords the advantage that the outer backing rollers disposed at the feeding and discharge ends can be readjusted when straightening rolls, intermediate rollers, and backing rollers are used which have been reground and assume a position which differs from their previous position. The outer intermediate rollers can now be exactly moved into engagement with the straightening rolls and backing rollers.

The eccentric mounting provided by the invention is particularly advantageous compared to a horizontal guidance, which is expensive. This eccentric mounting enables an optimum readjustment. The eccentricity should be such as to accommodate in any case the differential displacement required for the adjustment when one or all of the rolls or rollers have been reground. On the other hand, the eccentricity should be so small that the outermost intermediate rollers cannot yield in upwardly or downwardly inclined directions. This aim is particularly accomplished by the use of eccentric mountings for adjusting the two outer backing rollers.

Two illustrative embodiments of the invention are diagrammatically shown, partly in section, in the drawing, in which: t

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a straightening machine in which the backing rollers are adjusted by an eccentric bearing journal;

FIG. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view of the bearing journal of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a straightening machine in which the backing rollers are adjusted by an eccentric bearing bushing;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the eccentric bearing bushing; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bearing bushing.

The drawing shows straightening rolls 2, backing rollers 3 and intermediate rollers 4. The outer backing rollers 5 (FIGS. 1 and 3) form lateral supports for the set of intermediate rollers 4. In the first embodiment, the outer backing rollers 5 are rotatably mounted on a bearing journal 6 (FIG. 2), which is provided according to the invention with an eccentric portion 7. A rotation of the journal 6 (FIG. 1) in its support 8 will thus result in an eccentric movement of the portion 7, on which the outer backing roller 5 is rotatable. The threaded bolt 9 is operable to reduce the width of the gap 10 so that the bearing journal 6, 7 is held in the adjusted position.

In the second embodiment, the stub shaft 11 (FIG. 5) of the backing roller 5 (FIG. 3) is mounted in a bearing bushing 12, which is eccentrically mounted in its support 13. A rotation of the eccentric bushing 12 in its support 13 will also result in the desired adjustment of the backing roller 5.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for straightening sheet metal, which comprises straightening rolls, inner backing rollers arranged to vertically support said straightening rolls, a set of horizontally spaced apart intermediate rollers which are bodily movable transversely to their axis and interposed between and in contact with said inner backing rollers and said straightening rolls, an outer backing roller arranged to horizontally support one of said intermediate rollers disposed at one end of said set of intermediate rollers, said rolls and rollers having substantially parallel axes, and mounting means which support said outer backing roller and are operable to effect an individual adjustment of said outer backing roller in a direction which is'transverse to the axis of said outer backing roller.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1, which comprises two outer backing rollers arranged to horizontally support two of said intermediate rollers disposed at opposite ends of said set of intermediate rollers, said rolls and rollers having substantially parallel axes, and mounting means which support said outer backing rollers and are operable to effect a mutually independent adjustment of said outer backing rollers in a direction which is transverse to the axis of the respective outer backing roller.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 1, in which said mounting means comprise an eccentric bearing for said outer backing roller.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 3, in which said hearing comprises an eccentric bearing journal, on which said outer backing roller is rotatably mounted.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 3, in which said outer backing rollers have a stub shaft and said bearing comprises an eccentric bearing bushing, in which said stu? shaft is rotatably mounted.

MILTON S.

. References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENT 12/1932 Sutton et a1. 72-163 7/ 1934 Guthrie 72163 10/ 1938 Maussnest 72-163 MEHR, Primary Examiner. 

